I may have already posted this, but a 19th century linguist told a good story on himself. He had found a Lapp in nothern Norway who was literate and fluent in "standard" Norwegian, and was therefore able to provide him coherent information of the patois of Norwegian spoken by Lapps who had contact with the Norge community. He began to excitedly ask how one said this or that, how the verbs were conjugated, and in the process asked: "And what does one say when one dies?"
There was a pause, and then his interlocutor replied:
"Around here, when people die, they don't say anything."
Setanta wrote:I may have already posted this, but a 19th century linguist told a good story on himself. He had found a Lapp in nothern Norway who was literate and fluent in "standard" Norwegian, and was therefore able to provide him coherent information of the patois of Norwegian spoken by Lapps who had contact with the Norge community. He began to excitedly ask how one said this or that, how the verbs were conjugated, and in the process asked: "And what does one say when one dies?"
There was a pause, and then his interlocutor replied:
"Around here, when people die, they don't say anything."
It seems that reports of the death of this thread have been greatly exaggerated, wouldn't ya say, Setanta?
I swear it moved then.. I thought I saw an eyelid flicker.
Seen on the BBC News today, referring to Chinese imports to Europe, and the current impasse
"Clothing Logjam"
Don'tcha just hate that?
And another thing...journalists are fond of referring to "pickaxe handles". How many people have ever seen a pickaxe, let alone its handle? Very rare, believe me. The common implement here is a pick, and the corresponding wooden bit should be called a pick handle. imho
"Clothing logjam" belongs in one of those short blurbs reprinted from time to time by The New Yorker under the heading of BLOCK THAT METAPHOR!
I got some new underpants this week, and very comfortable they are too. Five in a pack.
So I looked at the label and it said "100% Cotton"
and then "Keep Away From Fire"
So I thought, who, and under what circumstances, applies fire to his underpants?
This is crazy.
Any other mad signs which members have seen?
Such as "This product may contain nuts" on a jar of peanut butter?
(Go on, tell me a peanut is a legume, not a nut)
Just wondering....
Underpants? You Brits call boxers and jocks underpants?
Still think that "often" should be pronounced without the silent "t".
mctag : "and then "Keep Away From Fire"
...that tells you not to wear them when you are hot ! be careful now. hbg
Letty wrote:Still think that "often" should be pronounced without the silent "t".
pronounced without a silent 't'? spelling without a silent 't' wouldn't be too difficult, but pronouncing without a silent letter means pronouncing the letter aloud? :wink:
hop i havnt ofen-ded u lety
Shal we re pair to the GAZEbo, urtle?
Ok, I'll quite now. hee hee!
Letty wrote:Underpants? You Brits call boxers and jocks underpants?
Of couse we do, if only because that is what they are.
The words "boxers" and "jocks" are assigned other meanings, in English. :wink:
I love the differences, McTag. My mom used to call them step-in's. (women's underwear only)
This week, a Scottish politician on the radio called them "gazunders"
-but strictly speaking a "gazunder" is a chamber pot, a pot which "g'zunder" the bed.
..."gazunder" is a chamber pot...
it's what us colonials call a "thundermug" i was told upon admittance to canada. hbg
and now, hamburger, they are used to grow pot pury
There's an article in The Spectator this week that would really irritate JTT...
arising from the current BBC radio programmes about dialect.
snippets
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northeast/series7/geordie_dialect.shtml
thanks for your advice , letty !
strangely enough mrs h prefers flowerpots for growing the garden herbs ; i wonder why ? hbg
Dear sirs and madams,
I have noticed that young persons in England make statements with the rising tone of a question.
It is most confusing. I do not like it.
Perhaps it is a subject you have discussed already. I do not know. I am sorry. It is a long thread.
Kind regards,
Goldmund
